Something about the bamboo thicket at the zoo calls to my son and he can not resist climbing it, and hanging upside down.
Here he is at age 4 doing a very ninja like move on this bamboo at the zoo:
…And here he is the other day, at age 6 hanging upside down on this same bamboo!
We had some crazy weather the other night. I woke up at 4 am to a tornado siren, (which I did not know my town had) and heard wind and rain and thunder that shook our house. The rest of the day the weather continued to come and go, with hail, and wind and the occasional tornado warning. It was not a day to be outside at all.
Growing up in CA, the most extreme things I ever experienced were earthquakes. When they were over, they were over, and you definitely knew when they were there. The thing with tornados, is I just have no clue what to look for, or when it’s over. It really scares me! The kids and I literally set up a tent downstairs near our hallway which is the only area of our house with no outside walls, which they advise is the safest place. Our dog shook and panted, and literally sat in my lap, while we patiently waited for it to all be over. I’m beginning to wish our house had a basement!
I guess my fears were realized when I saw this from the newspaper today:
“2 dead, dozens injured as homes lie in ruins after tornado” ~The Tennessean
These poor people…
We did some Spring/ Easter things this week…
Like dying Easter Eggs…
…hunting….
….and burying Blue in gravel…
… then cleaning him off with a blower…
… you know, all that traditional easter stuff!
Yesterday we were stuck at home the entire day, and after being home all weekend due to illness, we had watched enough tv, played enough games and puzzles, we were ready to get outside! We tried… but with the temperature only reaching 40 degrees at the high, the lingering coughs came back full force after only being outside for a half hour. So, back indoors we went, determined to find something “fun” to do.
The boys played “zoo” and made our home into different sections of the zoo, with stuffed animals, and our real animals. Our dog was a “wolf,” our cat the “tiger,” and our vacant crib in the hallway was a “reptile cage.”
~Later after browsing through the highlights magazine, Blue found these basketball hoops, so we made them!
Then, we ended the day making an obstacle course through the room. By the end of the day, our cabin fever was gone.
….because watching TV with Brody and Kyle is like an episode of Mystery Science theater. Last night we caught up on Hells Kitchen, Biggest Loser and LOST- and I laughed the whole time…
~Somehow we made it through the fall and winter without getting anything more than a common cold. I thought we were just lucky this year, or didn’t really know what to attribute it to.
It all started with a cold/allergy combo for me, that seemed to daily make me more and more stuffed up. My house is evidence of how I feel.. You would find a tea cup, a roll of toilet paper, and a book on nearly every table near a comfy chair in my house…
Then on Friday, after Blue had to spend two hours in his cubby room at school, due to a tornado warning in our area, he came home, and he wasn’t very lively and told me he was freezing. When I touched his head, he was burning up, and he’s been that way since. Thankfully we got him diagnosed early with strep, and so it will go away quickly with antibiotics. (one sign that he’s feeling better is that I was filing papers in the kitchen with my back to him, we were chatting for about 5 minutes, and when I turned around the entire kitchen looked like spiderman had been here. He had taken his kite string and strung it back and forth, tied to chairs and the stove etc. across the entire kitchen!)
Cooper then started coughing like a seal, and I knew I should take him in too. Come to find out he has the “croup” and an ear infection. (problem with him is he doesn’t like his medicine, so it’s a struggle to get him to take it!)
So far Aiden is fine.. but he’s also being careful. He’s telling Cooper not to touch him, and washing his hands, and not drinking out of any glass that is not his. (Such a responsible 4 year old!) I am sure it’s inevitable he’s going to end up with something though… He’s heard me telling people Cooper’s cough sounds like a seal, and so he told Cooper after a round of coughing, “Cooper you sound like a walrus!”
Today is a sunny day, and I’m dying to get outside…. I can finally breathe through my nose today, so it’s looking promising around here! Thank you to all of you who have sent us messages saying that you are praying, and for those of my friends near us offering any help needed! We appreciate all of you, and it’s comforting to know of the support we have, especially while my husband is away.
I just hope we don’t give him anything! I guess I need to start some serious sanitizing!
I have a pair of the older crocs, which I got when I was pregnant with Cooper, and they helped my back tremendously! Since Cooper is now two, and the crocs have become more of a worn out “watering the garden shoe,” I am entering to win a pair of pretty spring crocs, from simplemom! What I love most about crocs, aside from the fact that they are so comfortable, (and I am all about comfort,) is that you can recycle your old crocs, and they make new shoes that they donate to people in need. You can read more at Soles United. So, head over to simplemom and check out the many ways you can enter to win a pair of crocs!
All I can seem to think about and talk about is what I want to plant in my flower beds, and in my garden. I’m sure I’m driving my friends and family crazy, constantly talking about flowers and veggies! To extend, driving people crazier, I’ll share some things with you that are so cool that I’ve found online!
I love to “garden,” but I’m not that great at it, and I honestly don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve been trying to read, and research, and plan as best I’ve can and I’ve found a few tools and sites, that are helping me:
Being outside in the sun, feels amazing, and even just doing a little yard work is so physically wearing, I can’t believe it- but it feels great. I got my boys their shovels at the the dollar store today, so I am gearing up to do some major work around my house during spring break, if it will just stop raining!
*Anyone else garden obsessed? What are you planting?
